JSU biologist spends two years discovering new plants in Cleburne County

Bill Wilson, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·6 min read

May 15—Melanie Spaulding will never quit in her quest to document the plants of Cleburne County, even though she just received her masters degree in biology at Jacksonville State University for categorizing and identifying flowers, shrubs and just about anything that grows out of the ground.

Spaulding's thesis was on the "Vascular Flora of Cleburne County," a descriptive and systematic list of plants by species.

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$A2F=5:?8[ ca[ 92D DA6?E E96 =2DE EH@ J62CD 5C:G:?8[ A9@E@8C2A9:?8[ 4@==64E:?8 2?5 :56?E:7J:?8 A=2?ED :? 96C ?2E:G6 4@F?EJ] %92?@C6 3:@=@8:42==J 5:G6CD6] k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm"(96? x DE2CE65[ r=63FC?6 H2D C2?2E6=J b_E9 :? E96 DE2E6 7@C A=2?E 5:G6CD:EJ] }@H[ 27E6C 255:?8 :? >J ?F>36CD[ H6 2C6 :? E96 E@A 'd[" D96 D2:5]k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$A2F=5:?8 5@4F>6?E65 '[b_e 5:776C6?E A=2?ED :? r=63FC?6 r@F?EJ — af_ @7 H9:49 925 ?6G6C 366? 5@4F>6?E65 367@C6 :? E96 4@F?EJ[ 2?5 7@FC @7 H9:49 925 ?6G6C 366? 5@4F>6?E65 :? E96 DE2E6 @7 p=232>2] $:IEJ @7 E96 A=2?ED 5@4F>6?E65 7@C r=63FC?6 r@F?EJ 2C6 C2C6[ :>A6C:=65 @C 4C:E:42==J :>A6C:=65[ 6:E96C 8=@32==J @C :? p=232>2] k^Am

k2D:56 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\C6=4@?E6?E E?4>D\:?=:?6\C6=4@?E6?E\3:@ E?4>D\:?=:?6\2=:8?>6?E\C:89EQmk9cm!{p}% sx$r~'t#xt$k^9cmkA 5:ClQ=ECQm$@>6 @7 E96 >@C6 ?@E23=6 A=2?ED E92E |6=2?:6 $A2F=5:?8 92D 5:D4@G6C65ik^Am kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDEC@?8m—v@=56?D62= W9J5C2DE:D 42?256?D:DX[k^DEC@?8m ?6H=J 5@4F>6?E65 7@C r=63FC?6 r@F?EJ] p? 96C3[ 8@=56?D62= :D 72:C=J 4@>>@? E9C@F89@FE }@CE9 p>6C:42] $A2F=5:?8 D2:5 96CD :D E96 7:CDE 4@==64E:@? :? E96 !:65>@?E C68:@? @7 p=232>2 :? 'c_ J62CD] v@=56?D62= :D 4@?D:56C65 :>A6C:=65 :? E96 DE2E6 5F6 E@ C2C:EJ[ 2?5 :D G6CJ D42C46 8=@32==J] k^Am kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDEC@?8m—qFEE6C?FE W;F8=2?D 4:?6C62X[k^DEC@?8m 2=D@ 6?E65 :? 'c @E96C p=232>2 4@F?E:6D 2?5 96CD :D E96 7:CDE @?E AC@G:?46 :? p=232>2] $A2F=5:?8'D 7C:6?5 p52> s2D:?86C 3C@F89E E96 EC66 E@ 96C 2EE6?E:@?] k^Am kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDEC@?8m—tC?6DE'D DA:56CH@CE WEC256D42?E:2 6C?6DE:2?2X[k^DEC@?8m 2 7=@H6C:?8 A=2?E E92E :D @?=J A2D6D ?@CE96C? r=63FC?6 r@F?EJX :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ 2?5 @?=J E96 D64@?5 4@==64E:@? :? E96 !:65>@?E C68:@?]k^Amk^2D:56m

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$A2F5:?8 4C65:ED 96C J 6J6 42E496D 4@=@C[ D92A6[ E6IEFC6[ D@ x ;FDE ?@E:46 :7 D@>6E9:?8 :D 5:776C6?E[" D96 D2:5]k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 36DE E:>6 7@C 96C 7:6=5 H@C:D 27E6C :E C2:?D[ D96 D2:5]k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm"xE 6E9:?8 23@FE E96 =:89E[ 9@H :E C67=64ED[ 2?5 J@F 42? C62==J D66 2 >:==:@? D9256D @7 8C66? 2?5 3C@H?[" $A2F=5:?8 D2:5] "xE ;FDE C62==J >26E:>6D D96 :D 244@>A2?:65 3J 96C 9FD32?5[ s2? $A2F=5:?8[ 2?5 96C 49:=5C6? @? 96C 25G6?EFC6D] k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$96 DA6?E d__ 9@FCD :? E96 @FE5@@CD 5@:?8 7:6=5 H@C7C@> |2J a_'h E@ ~4E@36C a_a_ 2?5 EC2G6=65 @G6C c[d__ >:=6D[ 6:E96C 3J 7@@E 2?5 G69:4=6[ E@ 7:?:D9 96C E96D:D] "x 92G6 '_[bf_ A9@E@D @7 A=2?ED @? >J A9@?6[" D96 D2:5 H:E9 2 D>:=6]k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$A2F=5:?8 4C65:ED y:>>J %C:A=6EE[ 96C AC@76DD@C[ 96C y$& 72>:=J[ 2=@?8 H:E9 96C 9FD32?5[ 49:=5C6? 2?5 A2C6?ED 7@C DFAA@CE 2?5 6?4@FC286>6?E 5FC:?8 96C EH@\J62C E96D:D] k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$A2F=5:?8 D2:5 D96 H2D 2=D@ 2:565 3J qC:2? z66?6C[ 2 AC@76DD@C 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (6DE p=232>2[ H9@ :D @?6 @7 E96 2FE9@CD @7 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^7=@C2@72=232>2]@C8Qmp=232>2 !=2?E pE=2Dk^2m[ H9:49 $A2F=5:?8 FE:=:K65 7@C 96C C6D62C49]k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm"%96 p=232>2 !=2?E pE=2D :D 2? 2>2K:?8 A=2?E C6D@FC46 7@C p=232>:2?D H9:49 42? 36 2446DD65 @?=:?6[" $A2F=5:?8 D2:5] k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm p7E6C $A2F=5:?8 :56?E:7:6D 2 42?5:52E6[ D96 7:CDE 564:56D H92E 8C@FA :E'D :? 32D65 @? 492C24E6C:DE:4D]k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm"xD :E 2 EJA6 @7 7=@H6Cn xD :E =627 D92A65n w6:89E A=2JD :?E@ :E] %96C6'D C62==J 2 G2C:6EJ @7 E9:?8D] xE'D 2=>@DE =:A=6E65 96C E96D:D[ $A2F=5:?8 A=2?D E@ 4@?E:?F6 96C C6D62C49 E@ 7:?5 ?6H A=2?ED :? r=63FC?6 r@F?EJ] p7E6C 96C E96D:D 5676?D6 @? pAC:= 'e[ H:E9:? 2 H66D96 925 2=C625J 5@4F>6?E65 7@FC ?6H A=2?ED] k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm"xE >26 766= =: 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8 C62==J 8@@5 7@C E96 4@F?EJ[" D96 D2:5] "(6'C6 2? 64@E@FC:D> 4@F?EJ] x H2?E FD E@ 36 C62==J @C6 3:@5:G6CD6 E92E H6 2C6[ H:E9 2?JE9:?8[ A=2?ED @C 2?:>2=D[ E96 36EE6C @77 H6'C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 64@?@>:42==J]"k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm$A2F=5:?8 9@A6D E@ AF3=:D9 96C C6D62C49 :? 2 D4:6?E:7:4 ;@FC?2= 2?5 A@DD:3=J 2 H:=57=@H6C 3@@E@ 3C:?8 2H2C6?6DD E@ E96 4@F?EJ D96 =@G6D]k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm"x 8C6H FA 96C6] x =@G6 E92E >J <:5D 2C6 8C@H:?8 FA 96C6] x'G6 =:G65 :? @E96C A=246D[ 2?5 x 42? E9:?< @7 ?@ 36EE6C A=246 E92? r=63FC?6 r@F?EJ]"k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm k^Am

Staff writer Bill Wilson: 256-235-3562. On Twitter @bwilson_star.